Day 12, 14-day UX Writing Challenge
The Prompt
UX Writing Challenge: Day 12
Scenario: A user is creating an account. When they come to the step where they are asked to enter their name, they get an error message. A fraud detection software thinks their name is fake — but it’s wrong 5% of the time.
Challenge: Write an error message that prompts them to fix the error without shaming them for having a fake-sounding name.
45 characters max
Ideation Process
Do you have an interesting name? If your answer is ‘Yes’, then you and Bruce Wayne have something in common. Bruce Wayne is just an average guy who lives in Accra. But he shares a name with someone very popular.
Nope. He isn’t Batman, if that’s what you’re thinking. He’s just Bruce Wayne. He’s creating an account with an app that requires users to enter their full names.
But he’s run into a bit of a problem. The app thinks his name is fake. This is understandably aggravating for Bruce.
In addition to dealing with the jokes about his name (they never end), Bruce feels that even the apps don’t believe him.
How do we help Bruce navigate this unpleasant experience, especially knowing that the app has a 5% error rate when it comes to weeding out fake names?
This is rather dicey. Firstly, Bruce is unable to change his name. So that’s out of the question. Secondly, there isn’t a seemingly ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ answer to the dilemma presented by this occurrence.
So in order to help people like Bruce, we have to present them with options.
These options will cover the following scenarios
- The person has made a mistake with their name. Perhaps there was a spelling mistake, or a punctuation issue.
- Their name is exactly what they typed, but the app’s system is ‘skeptical’ about it.
In that case, the copy would be as follows:
Re-enter your name
Other sign-up method / Help
This text allows people like Bruce to re-enter their names in case they have made a mistake.
If that is not the case, then Bruce can use another sign-up method. This is important. If Bruce has been using Google or Facebook, chances are his identity has been authenticated by these services already.
But in case Bruce doesn’t have a Facebook or Google account, he can always get ‘Help’ by contacting support. He can then send a copy of his ID and other identity verifying documents to the support team if it is absolutely necessary.
Now, although Bruce Wayne is special, his predicament is faced by lots of people the world over. Check out some unusual names here.
Goal
- To give people with unusual names sign-up options when the fraud detection software flags up their names
Result
Thanks for coming this far with me! In case you missed it, you can find the previous days here. See you on Day 13, and don’t forget to comment!
